Merry Christmas Kingdom Hearts
by Suitachi
Summary: Tai goes out to buy Christmas presents with no idea what awaits her as she heads back home...
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so. I know this is a little out of season right now, but I wrote it during Christmas time and around that time I couldn't remember my fanfiction password.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy characters**

**I own: Tai**

**Kyra owns: Kylie and the baby**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Tai happily sang the same song over and over again while bounding through the snow. It was almost Christmas and she was excited, even if she wasn't singing a Christmas song.

Six presents. She got 6 presents for her friends and family. A doggie plushie for her goddaughter, reading glasses for Cloud, a new katana for Kylie, keychains for Sora, a new dress for Kairi, and a black camera for Riku.

"Hola! Merry Christmas!" Tai cried out, bursting through the door.

"Shh..." came a voice from the darkness.

"Wha? Who's--"

"Shh..."

One after another, two orange eyes appeared, seemingly to be lighted by firelight, but there was none. Tai screamed her semi-boyish scream, stumbling back through the door. The being who belonged to the eyes stepped into the light, revealing his evil smiling face.

"What'd you get me, Tai?" Xemnas asked in his deep man voice, pulling her up by her arm. Her face was close to his, and his breath was rank, making her nose wrinkle.

"Your breath smells. Have you been eating hearts again?"

Xemnas, being the angry man he was, threw her to the ground, at the same time, slipping the katana out of her green messenger bag.

She fell, fell, fell into the whiteness of the moonlit snow. Her head dropped to the side. Seeing the ivory slowly turn a crimson red, the reality of the circumstance brought pain to her freshly bleeding wound.

The evil man walked away, smiling his cruel smile of success.

Sora was the first to open the door again. He stared down, shocked and horrified, devastated that his best friend, his little sister, was almost gone.

"Merry Christmas, Sora. I'm sorry I'm--" Before she finished, her eyelids slowly closed as she slipped into the icy grip of Death's home. Sora stumbled back, hitting the door, then suddenly fell on his butt onto the tiled entrance floor.

Dead. She was dead...

* * *

"Ahh!!" Riku shot up in bed, screaming, panting, heartbroken. Not Tai. She can't be, is she?

"Riku? You okay?" Tai asked, slipping into his room. She was holding a cup of hot cocoa in her hand for him. He was the last one up and still in bed, so she thought she would surprise him a little bit. "I brought you some hot cocoa," she whispered, setting it on his bedside table.

Riku gripped her arm and pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapped protectively around her neck. Tai sat with her back against his chest, staring blankly at the wall, not understanding why he was so protective all of a sudden. "Don't leave...Don't ever leave without me..." he whispered, pulling her closer.

"It was a bad dream, wasn't it?" Tai asked. "That's why you screamed?" Riku didn't answer. Instead he buried his face in her hair. "Riku?"

"Mm?"

"You're choking me."

Riku loosened his hold and Tai got off from the bed. She looked away from him, blushing slightly, then ran off into the hall. Riku sat there, staring after her, then decided to drink the cocoa. One sip, and he felt like he was about to die.

"Not very good, is she?" he chuckled to himself.

"I! Have and announcement to make!" Tai announce to the audience in the living room.

"If you have an announcement, announce it quieter, thank you," Kylie said, rocking her baby.

"Fine, if you wanna be that way."

"You don't want to hear a screaming baby, do you?" asked Cloud.

"Okay! I get it! Lemme make my announcement! I! Am going to the store to buy you all Christmas presents!" she said, smiling. Riku's ears twitched, and he made his way lazily out of bed.

"More like you're gonna steal us Christmas presents," Sora noted, sipping his cocoa. He almost spit it out at first, then forced it down.

"What? None of the good stuff's in stores anymore."

"If you're going, take someone with you," Riku said, leaning on the wall. Tai and Kairi both turned their head to look at him, then blushed and turned away.

"First you're gonna need a shirt on," said Sora, "And maybe a coat, pants, a scarf, and a hat."

"I already know that, Sora. I was just making a point."

"Make a point after you get some clothes on," Cloud said, bashing him on the head. Riku slunk back into his room, gripping his head against the pain.

"Well, I'm going now. And before you say anything, I'll be fine. I always am, see ya!" And with that, she ran out the door before anyone had a chance to say anything. Riku stressed while trying to put on some clothes. Tai was already gone and he wasn't even half way ready yet.

* * *

Tai happily sang the same song over and over again while bounding through the snow. It was almost Christmas and she was exited, though she wasn't singing a Christmas song.

Six presents. She bought 6 presents for her friends and family. A doggie plushie for her goddaughter, reading glasses for Cloud, a new katana for Kylie, keychains for Sora, a new dress for Kairi, and a black camera for Riku.

She wasn't seeing where she was going and ran right smack into Xemnas and fell back into the snow. Xemnas looked down at her and smirked.

"What'd you buy me, Tai?" Xemnas asked in his deep man voice, pulling her close by her arm. Her face was close to his, and his breath was rank, making her nose wrinkle.

* * *

Riku ran out of the house, forcing his coat on. He had to find Tai, quickly.

"Where'd she go!?" he yelled to nothing, looking left and right. He stopped, seeing Xemnas holding Tai by the arm. His face turned red hot with anger and he tore his coat off so he could move freely while kicking that man's butt.

"Your breath smells. Have you been eating hearts again?"

Xemnas, being the angry man he was, threw her to the ground, at the same time, slipping the katana out of her green messenger bag.

She fell, fell, fell into the whiteness of the moonlit snow. Her head dropped to the side. Seeing the ivory slowly turn a crimson red, the reality of the circumstance brought pain to her freshly bleeding wound.

The evil man turned to walk away, smiling his cruel smile of success.

Riku stood where he was, frozen in the snow. It happened. She was gone.

Almost gone.

He plucked whatever strength he had left in him and walked over to the girl, dropping to his knees in the snow next to her. She looked up at him and smiled, knowing, thinking everything was all right. Then she shut her eyes.

"I always wondered what it'd be like to die. I guess I got my chance..." she said, breathing deeply. "Now...I just wish...I didn't have to..." With her last breath, she slipped into the unconscious state of death.

"I only wish...you didn't have to go..." Riku said, voice quivering. A single tear rolled off his cheek onto Tai's, soon rolling off like her own tear into the snow. Soon, more tears came after and he picked her off the ground carefully, as if he would awaken her from her sound slumber. But it wouldn't have mattered anyway. She'll never wake again. Riku sat there, with the girl pulled to his chest, crying, hoping, wishing...

"Riku...It was only paint."


	2. Chapter 2

**The second part...All of this updated together cuz it was all already written...Can also be found on cuz tha's where I wrote it up at.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy characters**

**I own: Tai and Surupi**

**Kyra owns: Kylie and the baby**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Riku buried his face in Tai's hair, happy that he really hadn't lost her.

"Why were you crying so much?"

"You were almost gone!"

"I can't leave. I am a mage."

"But...Just don't ever do that again!"

Tai let out a small grunt of pain. Yes, she passed out from the fear of seeing the red paint as her own blood, but now she wasn't so sure. She let out another small grunt. Riku heard this time and loosened his grip on her, looking down between them. The red stained both his and her coats, and he wasn't sure what the heck it was, and he was scared. Maybe Tai was, too.

"Please tell me that's paint, too!"

Tai screamed and gripped her head, standing up and backing away from him. "It hurts! It hurts! Let me go!" Riku jumped up and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him. She pulled away and he stood with his hand wrapped around her wrist, practically forced to watch the red blood spread throughout her jacket.

Surupi strolled through the snow, on his way to Kylie's house when he heard the unmistakable sound of Tai's semi-boyish scream. He ran in the direction he heard it coming from, but realized the scream was getting quieter and turned the other way around.

"Flying kick!" he yelled, kicking Xemnas, who was about to finish the girl off, in the head. Xemnas fell to the ground unconscious. "Tai!"

"It won't let go! It won't let go!"

"It?"

"There's no time to be stupid!" Riku yelled at Surupi. Like he was one to talk. Riku didn't know what to do himself.

Surupi rolled his eyes, and grabbing Tai's arm, pulling her close until their lips pressed together. Riku forced himself to look away, fighting against the urge to kill Surupi. Tai's eyes widened and twitched. He wouldn't let up. Almost instantly, Tai pulled out her daggers, fused them together, and stuck the newly formed blade into Surupi. Looks like the wounded beat Riku to it. Surupi stumbled back, wiping blood from his mouth, and willed himself to heal quickly. When his wound completely healed, he took a step toward.

"Let's not do that again, shall we?"

She breathed heavily, glaring a hole through him. Then, feeling the pain again, she fell back into the snow. She couldn't stand anymore. This time it was Riku who was glaring.

"What?" Surupi squeaked. Riku's eyes clouded over and he dropped to his knees next to the girl. Searching through her bag, he found bandages and used them to wrap the wound up. When he finished he picked her up and carried her toward home. Surupi followed close behind, but far enough so he wouldn't get killed be an angry male.

"They're taking a long time. I'm worried," Kylie said, standing up.

"No, stay here. I'll send--" Cloud said, but he was cut off by the door bursting open.

"Riku!?" Kairi and Sora both cried at the same time. Riku dropped to his knees, panting. He ran the whole way carrying Tai and was worn out.

"Hello!" Surupi called, peeking through the door.

"Surupi!?" Cloud and Kylie both called out.

"What happened!?" Kylie demanded.

"It was Xemnas!" Riku cried, "He--He--"

"Apparently Xemnas was the one who wounded Tai," Surupi said, seeing how Riku couldn't finish.

"Well, bring her in, dangit!" Kylie yelled, forcing the two men in. "Take her to...A safe room with no weapons or any sharp objects!" Riku obeyed and took her to the "safe" room, setting her down on the bed. "Now, you, get the heck out of here and bring in Kairi," Riku nodded and went to fetch Kairi. "Can you heal her?"

Kairi nodded and pressed her hands to Tai's opened wound.

Riku stood out in the hall, leaning against the wall, practically crying. Sora came and stood next to him, keeping him company. Riku didn't really want him nearby and went to his own room. Sora stayed where he was, staring at the ground.

"Please be okay, Tai. He...really loves you..." Sora whispered, then he started crying, too, and he ran to his own room. The baby caught wind of the unhappy atmosphere and started crying. Cloud rocked her, hoping to calm her down, but she wasn't letting up much.

"We have 3 people crying in this house..." Surupi said, not really making conversation, which was good, because Cloud didn't comment.

"Well, we'll let her stay here for the night, okay, Kairi?" Kylie asked. Kairi nodded and went to Tai's room to sleep. Kylie pulled up a chair and sat down, watching over Tai like a hawk.

Later, when the baby was calm and sleeping, Cloud put her in her crib and came into Kairi's room, pulling up a chair next to Kylie's. They sat there, not speaking, and waited for Tai to wake up. Cloud ended up falling asleep, but Kylie stayed unmoving.

"Mm..." Tai stirred in her sleep, then opened her eyes and sat up. "Kylie, How'd I get home?"

"Riku brought you home, you jerk! You went and almost got yourself killed and had everybody worried!" Kylie yelled. By the time she was finished, she found Tai had rolled over and pulled the covers over her head.

"You done yet?" Tai asked.

"Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Good," Tai removed the covers and sat up. "I'm surprised you didn't wake Cloud up," she said, noticed he was still knocked out in the chair.

"Eh. He was awake half the night," Kylie said, shrugging. The she and Tai both broke out in laughter, though it was quiet so the didn't wake anybody up.

"Tai!" Sora cried, flinging himself at her. He almost pushed her off the bed catching her in a hug, but sat there rubbing his cheek against hers. Tai hugged him back, smiling. She knew how much he missed her.

"Sora, get off. You're gonna kill her that way," Kairi said, coming in.

"That's not funny, Kairi," Sora pouted, removing himself from Tai. Once he was off the bed, Kairi flung herself at Tai, catching her in a hug. "Oh, and I was gonna kill her like that?"

"I'm smaller and weigh less," Kairi said, smiling. Tai laughed and hugged her back. Cloud suddenly woke up and, picking Kairi up by the back of her shirt, set her on the ground next the the bed.

"Don't I get a hello?" Cloud asked, stretching out his arms. Tai smiled and gave him a hug, too. Then, swinging off him, she flung herself at Kylie, hugging her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Surupi hanging out in the doorway. Instead of coming in for a hug, too, he bent over in a bow. Tai just stuck her tongue out at him, smiling. Surupi smiled back and left the room.

The only one who hadn't joined the party was Riku, who was standing against the wall near the doorway. Surupi turned to leave, but when he caught notice of Riku, he turned around to talk to him.

"You know, she's gonna think you don't love her if you just stand out here like this," he said.

"Shut up. It's not like you can tell the future."

"You're right. I can't," And with that, Surupi left the house. Tai noticed him talking to someone and slipped out of the room. Once in the hall she saw the door of Riku's room closing. She snuck down the hall and jiggled the doorknob, but it was locked.

"Go away..." came a muffled voice from inside.

"Oh, you're gonna make me cry if you say that," Tai pouted playfully.

"Join the club," Riku said, "They have all night."

"Wh' 'bout you?"

Riku didn't answer. Tai left the door and came back a second later with a lock pick. When she got the door unlocked she walked in. Riku was lying face down on his bed with his head buried in his pillow. He had his shirt off and it was freezing in there.

"You're gonna catch cold..." Tai said, turning up the heat in his room. His skin was turning whiter than it already was. "You trying to kill yourself?"

"Yes," he said, turning to look at her.

"Well, that's not a good idea. If one of my friends died, I wouldn't know how to live with myself."

"Like you're one to talk."

"Mm..." Tai didn't know what to say. He was being cold, like his frozen room. A moment later, she fell to the ground and closed her eyes. Riku jumped out of his bad and stood on all fours beside her, feeling her face. She was cold, but he new it was just the tempurature of the room

"Don't do that. You'll give me a heart attack."

"It was only paint..." she whispered sleepily.

"That's what you said the first time."

"That was a lie."

"This one is, too."

Tai opened one eye and stared up at Riku. She wriggled under his arm until she was right under him, and stared up. Riku let his hand down and stared down, looking at her with a confused look. She closed her eye again and, smiling, she curled up under his warmth. Riku lay down next to her and pulled her closer, falling asleep a little bit afterwards. Tai fell asleep to, with her hands grasped together in front of her mouth.

Cloud came in and saw the two together and moved forward, wanting to bash Riku on the head, but Kylie stopped him.

"Let them sleep," she said, and they both walked away.


End file.
